Hi all, I threw this idea up as a reply to another thread but I figured this might be a better place for it...

For all of you who are coming to BM and its your first time or you are coming down by yourself, I was thinking we could throw down camp together, with the only unifying theme being its all our first time there and we're on our own. I'm coming down all the way from Montana on my own and I don't know anybody else going that I could meet up with, so what a better way to make new friends than to camp with other newbies who are in the same boat? We could all pool our resources for things like shade and food and booze and music, etc etc... Just some ideas i'm throwin out there.

Anyways, the invitation is on the table, anyone interested just let me know and we'll work out the details! If there's a whole bunch of us we might want to reserve some space ahead of time, but I'd be willing to handle all the arrangements.

FYI, the only way to reserve space is to have a registered theme camp. If you want to go that route you'd better look through the application and come up with an idea.

What might be better is to agree on a general location, then whoever gets there first finds a sufficiently large spot, sets up, and registers that location at center camp so the stragglers can find them.

yeah, i hadnt really read all the stuff about theme camps since i've been thinking "oh im just coming down by myself, i'll just plunk down wherever and not worry about all that stuff." I'm lookin into those things now. thanks tho!

its not so mUch that i want to establish a "theme camp" per se...just kind of try to assemble us newbies together to camp in the same general area and meet and hang out with each other without having some grand underlying theme or project, because i'm getting the feeling that if its your first time going you just want to take in the experience and not have all this other stuff that goes along with being in a theme camp...just getting there and being there on your own will probably be overwhelming enough!

Many of the old Solo Collective campers morphed into various theme camps that make up Wheeeee!Ville. Considering that DonutLove, Smite, Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, and Loose Nutz all in one form or another met/partied/were part of the old Solo Collective circa 2002 (at least some of their campmates were), it shows that it can work. And as we got to know one another, many of us became friends, continued to correspond on venues like this (though in our own little world admittedly), met throughout the year for various events when they become geographicly desirable, and in some cases found love or, for others, at least lust. So I say go for it, re-establish the Solo Collective (isn't that sort of how the Eplaya Bar Camp now Booby Bar sort of came to be?), and let the chips fall where they may.

emotion_sickness wrote:hmm...so be it then! The solo collective is reborn and now recruiting volunteers...lemme just get that paperwork in to bmorg...

Make sure to spend some time talking with people that have run a camp like yours. You're in for a few rude surprises--especially with this being your first time out there.

If you can find the lady who ran SoCo, she might be willing to share with you what kind of landmines await you.

Thing to keep in mind--you're looking at "being in charge" of a space that is going to be home base to a bunch of strangers that after a few days out there may really start irritating the holy living shit out of one another for a variety of reasons (especially if people show up underprepared and expect to be bailed out by their "new" friends).

Best of luck to ya. Try to read EVERY thread in the QA Tips forum. Bring plenty of water and read EVERYTHING on the burningman website paying special attention to first and second timers guides and the ranger guide. Bring a very large cooler, load it with frozen gallon jugs of water and electrolyte drinks. 3 gallons per person per day. Be prepared for a rough environment. Hot as hell during the day and downright cold at night. Rain has been known to happen as well as duststorms. Basically plan for camping completely on your own for two weeks.

Toolmaker wrote:Be prepared for a rough environment. Hot as hell during the day and downright cold at night. Rain has been known to happen as well as duststorms. Basically plan for camping completely on your own for two weeks.

That's a no bullshit head's up.

The wind can equal hurricane force, sometimes for hours on end. Rain storms can happen and when they do, they turn the playa into super mud and it will stick to everything in the universe (namely, your bike will become instantly useless). The duststorms can cause whiteouts (really fun if you're out on the playa with no way to tell direction) and it's a really special treat is when it rains after a duststorm.

Don't plan on taking anything out there that you don't mind losing or having destroyed--including your car, belongings and possibly your relationships (tip o' the hat to III).

Waaaay too much water, at least for me. It's so dry on the Playa, that you dont really need to shower every single day. Even if you do have that penchant, you can take a thorough shower with 1/2 a gallon of water. If you have a clean cooler, and you keep your food in zip-lock bags, you can drink your cooler's ice melt. At $2 bucks a bag, ice on the Playa is a great bargain and could easily serve as your daily drinking water.

I took 20 gallons my first year, showered 3-4 times, and used almost half of it.

I have to agree that 3 gallons of water per person per day is excessive. I did that the first year I went... I ended up dumping a lot of excess bulk water along Jungo Road after the event and that was after giving some away for showers and I gifted bottled water to DPW that year.

The containers I buy are 2 1/2 - 3 gallons. One for every day of the event. If any is left over toward the end of the week it makes a great gift to the community. As someone else mentioned it can always be given to the folks who hang around and clean up afterwards. It all depends on how much you plan to provide for the community. I prefer to have extra and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Ranger guide recommends a minimum of 2 gallons a day if memory serves.

Teo del Fuego wrote: At $2 bucks a bag, ice on the Playa is a great bargain and could easily serve as your daily drinking water.

You know, I defend Arctica and work there, and I hate to see a sentence like that. Ice (unlike coffee) needs to be shipped in daily. The idea that unprepared newbies could shuck the responsibility of bringing water, the most basic of necessities, and rely on spending a couple of bucks a day and melting it, just slightly rubs me the wrong way.

we all bring enough water for 2 elephants every day....the only thing we use water cooler water(basically clean) is to wash dishes with (small amount of clorox added to make sure.)
Bin #1. water cooler water and biodegradible dish soap
Bin #2. water cooler water and 2 tablespoons of clorox. (rinse part 1)
Bin #3. Real clean water out of non-contaminated water recepticle for last rinse(rinse part 2)

K-mom wrote:You know, I defend Arctica and work there, and I hate to see a sentence like that. Ice (unlike coffee) needs to be shipped in daily. The idea that unprepared newbies could shuck the responsibility of bringing water, the most basic of necessities, and rely on spending a couple of bucks a day and melting it, just slightly rubs me the wrong way.

With all due respect, I think you typed before considering what I posted. Who said "shuck any responsibility concerning water?" I'm a waste-not-want-not kinda guy. The thought of people pouring their daily ice melt onto the playa when it could be used for showering or, in my un-dainty world, drinking water, seems lazy, intellectually. Unless you are really dialed in to the wonders of Tasty Bites or MREs, and like luke warm Gatorade, you probably are gonna be making at least one trek to Arctica. Im just advocating wasting as little water as possible. That's all.

I still bring from home 10-15 gallons of water in collapsible containers for showers, washing up, etc. I just happen to use my ice melt for my day's supply of ice cold water. And I strongly advise any newbie on this board to err on the side of caution and to err on the side of self-reliance. Arctica is not there to furnish the water you need to clean, shower or stay hydrated. And I never said anyhting different. "Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight." (Obscure PRI quote.)

Burn On (but stay hydrated) all you Newbies and Old-Timers who skim posts (like me!)

Toolmaker wrote:The containers I buy are 2 1/2 - 3 gallons. One for every day of the event. If any is left over toward the end of the week it makes a great gift to the community. As someone else mentioned it can always be given to the folks who hang around and clean up afterwards. It all depends on how much you plan to provide for the community. I prefer to have extra and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Ranger guide recommends a minimum of 2 gallons a day if memory serves.

I thought the DPW no longer accepted water donations. Are you giving it to a specific person or just leaving it somewhere?

I bring 1.5 gallons per day and don't use all of it. I always have camp mates that bring way too much. Cooler water gets used for showers.

Toolmaker wrote:The containers I buy are 2 1/2 - 3 gallons. One for every day of the event. If any is left over toward the end of the week it makes a great gift to the community. As someone else mentioned it can always be given to the folks who hang around and clean up afterwards. It all depends on how much you plan to provide for the community. I prefer to have extra and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Ranger guide recommends a minimum of 2 gallons a day if memory serves.

I thought the DPW no longer accepted water donations. Are you giving it to a specific person or just leaving it somewhere?

I bring 1.5 gallons per day and don't use all of it. I always have camp mates that bring way too much. Cooler water gets used for showers.

They may discourage it nowadays. The Ranger guide discourages Rangers from accepting beverages or water from unknown participants. One must be prepared to bring anything unused home with them. While you may be able to gift unused drinking water and foodstuffs it is not a guarantee. I wouldn't recommend ditching anything anywhere, the cleanup crews have a hard enough time with trash and abandoned bikes and whatnot.

As far as cooler water I like to use the cold water in a small mister and to soak bandannas/headwraps in. I am kinda picky as to what I drink and don't think I would ever try drinking cooler water no matter how clean the cooler.